The front page of this week's issue of Classic Car Weekly mentions chaos ahead with pre-1984 MOT exemption but the real points to draw from this are that the DfT has three years to implement this EU directive and are in fact supportive of the concerns of the historic vehicle movement.The good news DfT has already agreed is historic vehicles that are not exempted from the MOT test will be held to roadworthiness standards applicable to their age, rather than those suitable for modern vehicles. There will certainly be further discussions before changes are implemented.

Many classic car enthusiasts feel the move to exempt pre-1960 or pre-1984 classic cars from an annual MOT test is unwise. The annual test is a good discipline when classic car owners have to ensure their cars are well maintained and prepared for the annual test. Equally the knowledge and skills of the MOT testers, particularly those with a genuine feel and understanding of classic cars, can identify real issues of concern which an enthusiast maintaining their own car might miss. It's worth buying a copy of CCW to read their article.